Edinburgh and Blackpool are the latest additions to the 2009 Nocturne Series, joining the established Smithfield event held in London.

Event director James Pope of FACE promises some top continental pros for the new races, with the Blackpool Nocturne on the north shore promenade on August 1 aiming to attract Tour de France stars from the post-Tour criterium circuit.

Blackpool’s Grand Theatre is to welcome back legendary entertainer Joe Longthorne for three weeks of song and laughter from Sunday 30th August to Saturday 19th September following his sell out performances in 2007 and 2008.

Joe Longthorne’s repertoire of voices is endless and includes hundreds of the world’s top singers. However, he is perhaps best known for his impersonations of Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey – Shirley herself said: “Joe can do me better than I can do myself!”

A man was arrested on suspicion of arson this morning as more than 100 firefighters struggled to contain a huge blaze in the centre of Blackpool.

Seven people, including a baby, were evacuated as flames engulfed shops and the historic Yates’s wine bar close to the resort’s main attractions, such as the tower and winter gardens. Three people were treated for smoke inhalation.

Detectives were questioning a 21-year-old man who was arrested close to the suspected seat of the fire, on the ground floor of a pet shop. Lancashire police said that it was too early to speculate on the outbreak’s exact cause or possible motives involved.

The fire spread rapidly through the roof of the shop in Clifton Street, before engulfing Yates’s next door, which has only recently re-opened after a £500,000 restoration. The nearby Wildcats lap dancing bar and other shops were also badly damaged as strong winds fanned the flames.

Using pumps mounted on aerial ladders, firefighters managed to ring the fire after several hours and prevent it spreading further through a triangle of shops and restaurants. It was brought under control at 10.30am.

The leader of Blackpool council, Peter Callow, said the gutting of Yates’s was “a tragedy, destroying one of our most famous buildings”. The fire had also wrecked other renovation projects that had smartened up the surrounding Talbot Square area, he said.

The alarm was raised at 3.15am and firefighters found Yates’s well ablaze. They deployed three aerial ladder platforms and a high volume pump as well as 10 tenders. Blackpool’s emergency planning team was mobilised.

Kathy Stacey of Lancashire fire and rescue said: “It’s been a very, very big fire for us in terms of its size and intensity. It’s very rare that we would have a fire involving that number of pumps.

“Thankfully nobody was in the buildings and we’re not looking at a lot of casualties. Had this been a terrace of homes it would be a different story, but it’s obviously very sad for those business owners and the people who own those properties.”